Fresh off the season ending injury to their superstar, Kobe Bryant, the Lakers had another battle on their hands to prevent their season as a team from ending. They fought hard throughout and pulled off the 91-86 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Given little time to mourn the loss of Bryant on Friday night, Dwight Howard said that they would have to rely on their defense. That's precisely what the team did against the Spurs. They held the Spurs offense to just 37% shooting from the field. That will get it done on most nights. Most notable was the defense the Lakers played on Tony Parker. He was held to 4 points on 1/10 shooting from the field. Steve Blake played scrappy defense on him all night. He was reaching in, contesting shots, and generally making life hard for Parker, who is trying to recover from injury himself.
The Lakers shot only 37% from the field, but their offensive philosophy was solid. They went inside all game long to Gasol and Howard in the post. Each one was taking turns decimating San Antonio's front line, and when the double teams came they kicked it out to the open man. With Bryant out for the season and Nash still sidelined, that is how they will have to play. Although Gasol had a poor shooting night, he stuck with it and contributed in other ways. His 16 rebounds helped the Lakers win the battle of the boards 58-46. Dwight Howard was in full Superman mode. He had 26 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks. After the game he was asked what the Lakers needed to do to make the playoffs. He replied, "Dominate." Well done, big man. Well done. Seems like Dwight has a little bit of that venom now... ;)
Notables:
The Good:
- The Blake Mamba. 23 points on 50% shooting from Blake.
- Superman getting an edge about him
- Lakers bench gave a nice boost in the 4th
- Won the battle of the boards
- Another crucial win
The Bad:
- 14 turnovers
With 1 game to go in the season it all comes down to this. One of the following 3 scenarios will happen on Wednesday night:
1) The Lakers can get the No. 7 seed (and No. 2 SAS) by beating Houston on Wednesday.
2) If the Lakers lose to Houston and Utah beats Memphis, L.A. would be out of the playoffs, Utah the 8 seed.
3) If Utah loses to Memphis and LAL lose to Houston, LAL would be the 8 seed and play OKC.
So stay tuned Laker fans. Just 1 more to go...GO LAKERS!!!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Lakers vs Warriors (4/12/13)
"M-V-P!!! M-V-P!!! M-V-P!!!" The chants arose from Staples center as Kobe Bryant approached the free throw line. He had just hyper extended his left knee. Refusing to be taken out of the game, he took his shots. Later in the game he took another spill, coming up gimpy. He got up and walked around gingerly with a strain on his face. Again he approached the line and shot his free throws. Later still, with 3 minutes left in the game, Kobe went to attack from the 3 point line. As he planted his foot, he fell and a whistle was blown. He had injured his Achilles tendon (believed to be torn, an MRI is scheduled for tomorrow). Again, Kobe Bryant approached the free throw line. He tied the game with his 2 free throws. The regular season MVP this year may go to a guy down in South Beach, but there is no question who has been the MVP of this team. Every game he gives everything he has. His team returned the favor. They fought hard and pulled out the 118-116 win over the Warriors in one of the craziest games I've ever seen.
This game was immensely important for both teams. The Warriors were trying to move up in the seeding to avoid San Antonio, and the Lakers were fighting off Utah to just make it in the post season. Both teams started off red hot shooting 75% from the field. From the Lakers end, they were dominating inside with Pau and Dwight. Post isolations for Pau, and high-low lobs for Dwight led to a lot of high percentage looks. From the Warriors end Stephen Curry was on another level. He was shooting 3s, floaters, and mid range shot like it was practice. Not a scrimmage either, I mean like a shooting drill. Dude had 22 points in the first quarter alone and torched the Lakers mercilessly. Any time the Lakers went under a screen he pulled up and drained the jumper. It really was incredible.
Not to be outdone, Kobe got cooking in the second quarter. He scored 7 straight to keep the Lakers within reach. At half time the score was even at 57 all. To start the 3rd the Warriors started using a lethal combo of high screen/rolls with their two sharp shooters Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. This is incredibly difficult to guard because both players can shoot at a high clip, and they can handle the ball well. If the Lakers switched on the screen the Warriors milked Thompson (6'6") shooting over Blake (6'2"), if they went over or under the screen the Curry went to work. The Warriors milked this combo to death. And when they finally went away from it, David Lee went to work and scored 6 points in a row. Meanwhile the Lakers kept pounding it in to Dwight and Pau leaving the Warriors no choice but to foul away. As mentioned earlier Kobe was playing through injury the entire time. He hit jumpers, got fouled going to the basket, and set up his teammates. Yet the Lakers found themselves down by 9 with 6 minutes to go. They got a triple from Blake and then consecutive triples from Kobe to tie the game. After a Jarrett Jack layup, Kobe tried to drive and that's when the Achilles injury happened. The Lakers had to intentionally foul so that Kobe could leave the game. It was a heart breaking sight for Lakers and basketball fans everywhere.
Offensively the Spaniard took over for the Lakers with Bryant unable to play. He got a lefty hook to fall on one possession, and then Blake found Howard for a dunk on another. The Lakers held on for the win despite a full court heave that nearly went in for Stephen Curry.
Notables:
The Good:
- Dwight Howard's free throw shooting was excellent tonight. He really punished the Warriors for all the fouling they do
- Pau stepped up big time. This was 2008-2010 Pau. This was Spanish National team Pau. This was the Spanish Wonder! He had a triple double with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 Assists.
- The Mamba. Nothing much needs to be said. Unbelievable.
The Bad:
- The Lakers were unable to cool off Curry for 90% of this game
- Too many offensive rebounds given up (15 for GSW, only 3 for LAL)
- It is very likely that Kobe is out for the season :'(
The Lakers got the win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It appears they've lost their best player in the process. After the game Dwight was asked how the Lakers would have to adjust without Kobe. He responded by saying, "Defense." It's so true. The Lakers are going to have to play as one unit without the Mamba on the floor. Their margin for error got a lot smaller, just when you thought it couldn't. If they ever needed a rallying point this would be it. They have 2 games to go before they end the season. If they play together, with effort and intensity they can do it. They can shock the world.
Get better Mamba. Our prayers are definitely out to you. We know you'll be back...GO LAKERS!!!
This game was immensely important for both teams. The Warriors were trying to move up in the seeding to avoid San Antonio, and the Lakers were fighting off Utah to just make it in the post season. Both teams started off red hot shooting 75% from the field. From the Lakers end, they were dominating inside with Pau and Dwight. Post isolations for Pau, and high-low lobs for Dwight led to a lot of high percentage looks. From the Warriors end Stephen Curry was on another level. He was shooting 3s, floaters, and mid range shot like it was practice. Not a scrimmage either, I mean like a shooting drill. Dude had 22 points in the first quarter alone and torched the Lakers mercilessly. Any time the Lakers went under a screen he pulled up and drained the jumper. It really was incredible.
Not to be outdone, Kobe got cooking in the second quarter. He scored 7 straight to keep the Lakers within reach. At half time the score was even at 57 all. To start the 3rd the Warriors started using a lethal combo of high screen/rolls with their two sharp shooters Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. This is incredibly difficult to guard because both players can shoot at a high clip, and they can handle the ball well. If the Lakers switched on the screen the Warriors milked Thompson (6'6") shooting over Blake (6'2"), if they went over or under the screen the Curry went to work. The Warriors milked this combo to death. And when they finally went away from it, David Lee went to work and scored 6 points in a row. Meanwhile the Lakers kept pounding it in to Dwight and Pau leaving the Warriors no choice but to foul away. As mentioned earlier Kobe was playing through injury the entire time. He hit jumpers, got fouled going to the basket, and set up his teammates. Yet the Lakers found themselves down by 9 with 6 minutes to go. They got a triple from Blake and then consecutive triples from Kobe to tie the game. After a Jarrett Jack layup, Kobe tried to drive and that's when the Achilles injury happened. The Lakers had to intentionally foul so that Kobe could leave the game. It was a heart breaking sight for Lakers and basketball fans everywhere.
Offensively the Spaniard took over for the Lakers with Bryant unable to play. He got a lefty hook to fall on one possession, and then Blake found Howard for a dunk on another. The Lakers held on for the win despite a full court heave that nearly went in for Stephen Curry.
Notables:
The Good:
- Dwight Howard's free throw shooting was excellent tonight. He really punished the Warriors for all the fouling they do
- Pau stepped up big time. This was 2008-2010 Pau. This was Spanish National team Pau. This was the Spanish Wonder! He had a triple double with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 Assists.
- The Mamba. Nothing much needs to be said. Unbelievable.
The Bad:
- The Lakers were unable to cool off Curry for 90% of this game
- Too many offensive rebounds given up (15 for GSW, only 3 for LAL)
- It is very likely that Kobe is out for the season :'(
The Lakers got the win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It appears they've lost their best player in the process. After the game Dwight was asked how the Lakers would have to adjust without Kobe. He responded by saying, "Defense." It's so true. The Lakers are going to have to play as one unit without the Mamba on the floor. Their margin for error got a lot smaller, just when you thought it couldn't. If they ever needed a rallying point this would be it. They have 2 games to go before they end the season. If they play together, with effort and intensity they can do it. They can shock the world.
Get better Mamba. Our prayers are definitely out to you. We know you'll be back...GO LAKERS!!!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Lakers at Blazers (4/10/13)
There was no question. The Lakers absolutely had to get this one to be in control of their playoff destiny. Behind the Black Mamba/Black Swan duo that led them to two titles and 3 finals appearnaces they got the win, and held off the Blazers 113-106. Check DancingBarry's review at Lakersground:
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
If you're not watching Kobe folks, you should be. This guy is special. He played all 48 minutes and put up 47 points (an oppoent record in the Rose Garden) on 52% shooting , 8 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks, and only 1 turnover. All at age 34. #Vino. The Spaniard would not be denied either. He had 23 points, 7 boards, 9 assists, and 2 blocks. Dwight was no slouch and he chipped in 20 points, 10 boards, 1 assist, and 3 blocks. Steve Blake got some huge offensive rebounds in the clutch, causing Jim Rome to tweet that he was Rodman LOL.
The Lakers finally swept a back-to-back for the first time this season. The win put them in the driver's seat. They have only 3 games left (as does Utah), however, if they win out they will be the number 8 seed. They control their own destiny. Meet the challenge Lakers!!!
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
If you're not watching Kobe folks, you should be. This guy is special. He played all 48 minutes and put up 47 points (an oppoent record in the Rose Garden) on 52% shooting , 8 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks, and only 1 turnover. All at age 34. #Vino. The Spaniard would not be denied either. He had 23 points, 7 boards, 9 assists, and 2 blocks. Dwight was no slouch and he chipped in 20 points, 10 boards, 1 assist, and 3 blocks. Steve Blake got some huge offensive rebounds in the clutch, causing Jim Rome to tweet that he was Rodman LOL.
The Lakers finally swept a back-to-back for the first time this season. The win put them in the driver's seat. They have only 3 games left (as does Utah), however, if they win out they will be the number 8 seed. They control their own destiny. Meet the challenge Lakers!!!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Lakers vs Pelicans (4/9/13)
Lakers got the had to have W last night 104-96 over the Pelicans. Kobe an Pau led the way along with an emotional boost from the return of Metta World Beast. He returned after just 12 days, but was expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Check DancingBarry's review:
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
For the time being, the Lakers have regained the 8th seed. They'll need another win tonight over the Blazers to maintain that. Portland would love for nothing more than to ruin their chances. The Lakers must be prepared to meet the challenge.
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
For the time being, the Lakers have regained the 8th seed. They'll need another win tonight over the Blazers to maintain that. Portland would love for nothing more than to ruin their chances. The Lakers must be prepared to meet the challenge.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Lakers at Clippers (4/8/13)
In a game they needed to control their own destiny, the Lakers fell to the Clippers 95-109. Injuries or not, the Lakers have had problems all season long with the Clippers. They were unable to win the battle of the boards, and couldn't protect the basketball. The result is a gauranteed loss against a team that thrives on fast breaks. Check DancingBarry's review over at Lakersground:
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
Utah also won later in the day against Golden State. This means that Lakers will have to win at least 1 MORE game than the Jazz to make the playoffs (the Jazz hold the tie breaker). It's going to be tough, but trust me, no one is feeling sorry for the Lakers. Nash is questionable for Tuesday's game against New Orleans. MWP is most likely out as well.
This tweet from Kobe sums of my feelings on the matter, "#focus #zen #takethechallenge only focus is N.O #beastmode #mambasrep #lakernationstandup"
Gotta take care of business. Go LAKERS!!!
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
Utah also won later in the day against Golden State. This means that Lakers will have to win at least 1 MORE game than the Jazz to make the playoffs (the Jazz hold the tie breaker). It's going to be tough, but trust me, no one is feeling sorry for the Lakers. Nash is questionable for Tuesday's game against New Orleans. MWP is most likely out as well.
This tweet from Kobe sums of my feelings on the matter, "
Gotta take care of business. Go LAKERS!!!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Lakers vs Grizzlies (4/5/13)
With their playoff lives in the balance, the Lakers had to scratch and claw their way through a battle with the Memphis Grizzlies. They eeked out 86-84 victory to maintain a 0.5 game lead over Utah for the final playoff spot.
Memphis is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They hold their opponents to average of 89.8 points per game. So going into the game it was imperative that the Lakers match the Grizzlies on the defensive end of the floor. In the first half the Lakers did a good job of that. They were able to contest shots at the rim, recover to the perimeter, and rebound. On offense they ran a healthy dose of high screen and roll which opened up a ton of 15 footers for Pau who knocked them down with regularity. The missed some bunny shots though, and went to the break at half time with a 7 point lead despite being up by as many as 13.
In the second half, Memphis got their licks in on D. They intercepted several bad passes from the Lakers to convert them to points, and even opened up a 5 point lead of their own. Steve Blake was the culprit in several of those turnovers. He seemed to be getting down on himself for making obvious mistakes. Grizzlies guard Mike Conley went right at him on O, seemingly scoring at will. Credit Blake though for keeping his head in the game and drilling two crucial 3's (both of which came when the Lakers down and gave them the lead). Basketball is so much about confidence. You play better when you're confident, so it was nice to see Blake shake off the mistakes and keep moving.
This game came down to the wire. With the Lakers up by 1, Dwight Howard was sent to the free throw line on a loose ball foul from Zach Randolph. Staples Center collectively held their breath in anticipation. He made 1 of 2 leaving the Lakers with a 2 point lead about 4 seconds on the clock. As maligned as their defense has been, it would come down to a final stop to secure the victory. Out of the timeout Conley tried to score on a drive to the hoop. He was met with the resistance of Howard and Gasol who altered his shot and forced the miss. Lakers win, and live to fight another day.
Notables:
The Good:
- Earl Clark was everywhere again tonight. Bringing tons of energy with his put back dunks and dunk-stuffing blocks. His hustle was key.
- Gasol was great with 19 points and 9 rebounds. After the game Kobe said they are finally, "Using him the right way."
- Kobe did a good job balancing facilitator and scorer
- The team got stops when they needed to
The Bad:
- 18 turnovers is too much. With so many of them being forced bad passes it makes it worse. Those should be correctable however.
- Foul trouble for Dwight in the second half
- Still too many miscues on defensive assignments, but at least the effort was there
The Lakers had to win to maintain their playoff spot. From this point on they've got to match whatever Utah does at a minimum since Utah owns the tie breaker. Kobe says he would have it no other way. They'll play the Clippers tomorrow in another crucial game.
Memphis is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They hold their opponents to average of 89.8 points per game. So going into the game it was imperative that the Lakers match the Grizzlies on the defensive end of the floor. In the first half the Lakers did a good job of that. They were able to contest shots at the rim, recover to the perimeter, and rebound. On offense they ran a healthy dose of high screen and roll which opened up a ton of 15 footers for Pau who knocked them down with regularity. The missed some bunny shots though, and went to the break at half time with a 7 point lead despite being up by as many as 13.
In the second half, Memphis got their licks in on D. They intercepted several bad passes from the Lakers to convert them to points, and even opened up a 5 point lead of their own. Steve Blake was the culprit in several of those turnovers. He seemed to be getting down on himself for making obvious mistakes. Grizzlies guard Mike Conley went right at him on O, seemingly scoring at will. Credit Blake though for keeping his head in the game and drilling two crucial 3's (both of which came when the Lakers down and gave them the lead). Basketball is so much about confidence. You play better when you're confident, so it was nice to see Blake shake off the mistakes and keep moving.
This game came down to the wire. With the Lakers up by 1, Dwight Howard was sent to the free throw line on a loose ball foul from Zach Randolph. Staples Center collectively held their breath in anticipation. He made 1 of 2 leaving the Lakers with a 2 point lead about 4 seconds on the clock. As maligned as their defense has been, it would come down to a final stop to secure the victory. Out of the timeout Conley tried to score on a drive to the hoop. He was met with the resistance of Howard and Gasol who altered his shot and forced the miss. Lakers win, and live to fight another day.
Notables:
The Good:
- Earl Clark was everywhere again tonight. Bringing tons of energy with his put back dunks and dunk-stuffing blocks. His hustle was key.
- Gasol was great with 19 points and 9 rebounds. After the game Kobe said they are finally, "Using him the right way."
- Kobe did a good job balancing facilitator and scorer
- The team got stops when they needed to
The Bad:
- 18 turnovers is too much. With so many of them being forced bad passes it makes it worse. Those should be correctable however.
- Foul trouble for Dwight in the second half
- Still too many miscues on defensive assignments, but at least the effort was there
The Lakers had to win to maintain their playoff spot. From this point on they've got to match whatever Utah does at a minimum since Utah owns the tie breaker. Kobe says he would have it no other way. They'll play the Clippers tomorrow in another crucial game.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Lakers vs Mavericks (4/2/13)
Shaq's jersey retirement? Check. Huge game with playoff race implications? Check. All the pressure in the world. This was a game with the classic Hollywood drama story lines, and the Lakers responded with 101-81 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers didn't wait to get going in this one. They jumped on the Mavs early and opened up a 15 point lead by halftime. They did so by going in to Dwight early and often. They got him looks off of screen/rolls, post isolations, and put backs. The defense was great too. Rotations were quick when Dwight stepped over to stop dribble penetration. This was key to shutting down Dallas' offense, and thus they were limited to just isolation opportunities.
When Dallas did isolate Dirk, Earl Clark gave him fits. Over the last 3 games Nowitzki had been averaging 29 points on 62% shooting. Not tonight. He was held to shooting 4 for 13 and only scored 11 points. Earl made him work for everything he got. Clark wound up with 5 blocks on the night. I think Dirk will be seeing Earl in his nightmares. Pau also guarded Dirk extremely well. Both players did exactly what you should do defensively against him: stay in his grill and contest his shots without fouling.
The Lakers 15 point lead at halftime was cut to 5 points late in 3rd when their offense got stagnant, and turnovers compounded the issue. Uncle Earl went to work again. He got fouled on an and-1 drive to the hoop. He missed the free throw, but Pau tipped the rebound out to Kobe to swung it to Clark for the 3 ball. The Lakers got a stop and then Earl dished it to Jamison for the layup to cap a 7-0 run which put the Lakers in control for good. Dallas did make another run though in the 4th. They were down 10 with what was seemingly going to be an easy dunk for their center Brandon Wright. That's when the Mamba erased Dallas' momentum with a timely block. Dallas then tried the Hack-a-Howard technique to get back in the game. It back fired big time as Dwight wound up hitting 5 free throws in a row during the stretch.
The Lakers annihilated Dallas on the boards 57-37. That was the game right there.
Notables:
The Good:
- The defense. It was active and executed well.
- Earl Clark with 17 points, 12 boards, and 5 blocks
- Vino with a triple double. 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists
- Dwight & Pau controlled the middle with a combine 38 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 assists
- Blake and Meeks combined to shoot 42% from 3
The Bad:
- Need to cut down on turnovers
- Can't have those droughts where the offense gets stagnant
Shaq's jersey retirement was special. From hearing chants of "We want Phil!" to Shaq's classic "Can youuuu dig iiiiitttttt??!!!", it was fun to relive the memories of the 3-peat Lakers. One fan described the atmosphere as electric. The Lakers will need more of that over the final 7 games as the battle the Jazz for the final playoff spot. They play Memphis at Staples on Friday.
The Lakers didn't wait to get going in this one. They jumped on the Mavs early and opened up a 15 point lead by halftime. They did so by going in to Dwight early and often. They got him looks off of screen/rolls, post isolations, and put backs. The defense was great too. Rotations were quick when Dwight stepped over to stop dribble penetration. This was key to shutting down Dallas' offense, and thus they were limited to just isolation opportunities.
When Dallas did isolate Dirk, Earl Clark gave him fits. Over the last 3 games Nowitzki had been averaging 29 points on 62% shooting. Not tonight. He was held to shooting 4 for 13 and only scored 11 points. Earl made him work for everything he got. Clark wound up with 5 blocks on the night. I think Dirk will be seeing Earl in his nightmares. Pau also guarded Dirk extremely well. Both players did exactly what you should do defensively against him: stay in his grill and contest his shots without fouling.
The Lakers 15 point lead at halftime was cut to 5 points late in 3rd when their offense got stagnant, and turnovers compounded the issue. Uncle Earl went to work again. He got fouled on an and-1 drive to the hoop. He missed the free throw, but Pau tipped the rebound out to Kobe to swung it to Clark for the 3 ball. The Lakers got a stop and then Earl dished it to Jamison for the layup to cap a 7-0 run which put the Lakers in control for good. Dallas did make another run though in the 4th. They were down 10 with what was seemingly going to be an easy dunk for their center Brandon Wright. That's when the Mamba erased Dallas' momentum with a timely block. Dallas then tried the Hack-a-Howard technique to get back in the game. It back fired big time as Dwight wound up hitting 5 free throws in a row during the stretch.
The Lakers annihilated Dallas on the boards 57-37. That was the game right there.
Notables:
The Good:
- The defense. It was active and executed well.
- Earl Clark with 17 points, 12 boards, and 5 blocks
- Vino with a triple double. 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists
- Dwight & Pau controlled the middle with a combine 38 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 assists
- Blake and Meeks combined to shoot 42% from 3
The Bad:
- Need to cut down on turnovers
- Can't have those droughts where the offense gets stagnant
Shaq's jersey retirement was special. From hearing chants of "We want Phil!" to Shaq's classic "Can youuuu dig iiiiitttttt??!!!", it was fun to relive the memories of the 3-peat Lakers. One fan described the atmosphere as electric. The Lakers will need more of that over the final 7 games as the battle the Jazz for the final playoff spot. They play Memphis at Staples on Friday.
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